This Fall the UF Department of Chemistry will continue to expand its strength in natural products synthesis and chemical biology with the addition of Dr. Jeff Rudolf. A graduate of Walla Walla University in Washington, Dr. Rudolf earned his Ph.D. at the University of Utah with Dr. C. Dale Poulter, a preeminent isoprenoid biochemist. As a postdoctoral researcher on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute, he trained in the lab of Professor Ben Shen, co-chair, and professor in the Department of Chemistry and director of The Natural Products Library Initiative at TSRI Florida. The research in Dr. Rudolf’s laboratory at UF will be aimed at discovering new drugs from natural resources using cytochrome P450 enzymes. According to Dr. Rudolf P450 enzymes are well known throughout biology, most notably for steroid biosynthesis and metabolizing drugs or other chemicals in humans. As explored by his research P450 enzymes can also be used as tools for transforming drugs, providing synergy with other research groups interested in modifying small molecules. At UF his research in part will look at P450 enzymes in Streptomyces the same bacteria that produce clinically useful drugs and drug leads including antibiotics, anti-cancer, and anti-fungal drugs. The future impact of Dr. Rudolf’s research has been recognized by a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), a highly competitive career transition grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
